Christmas Ephemera

 I've had a blast making miscellaneous ephemera this week, some to go out in swaps and some to insert into Christmas cards.

Double pockets with tags

More double pockets with tags

Christmas Hidden Paper clips with tabs

Christmas Tree Tags

112. There's Something About Merry by Codi Hall

listened on Audible

2021
336 pgs.
Adult Christmas romcom
Finished 12/12/21
Goodreads rating:  3.70

My rating: 3
Setting: contemporary Misteltoe, Idaho (groan....)

My comments: Nicely narrated.  A cutesie Christmas romance about a single dad and a very sweet (too sweet?) happy middle daughter of a Christmas tree farm family that is way over-the-top too-good-to-be-true.  A real Hallmark movie book.  Fun to listen to, however,  And although there was nothing super steamy , there were some places that would probably raise many eyebrows...

Goodreads synopsis:   Get in the holiday spirit with this sexy rom-com from the author of Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist.

Merry Winters has the holiday blues. She's spent the last year learning to love herself, and now she's ready to find the right guy. But the pickings are slim in Mistletoe, Idaho, and it’s just her luck that the man who catches her eye is the stoic new foreman at her family’s Christmas tree farm. Too bad he wants to keep a 39-and-a-half-foot pole between them.

Single dad Clark Griffin isn't looking for romance, but he wouldn't mind a friend to snuggle with on a cold winter's night. When he signs up for online dating, he doesn't expect to connect with the sassy, crafty Knottygirl25 and get wrapped up in every message she writes.

But when Merry turns out to be his blind internet date, his surprise causes him to miss his chance under the mistletoe. Can a little Christmas magic give these two a second chance at a first impression?

156. Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost

#1 Christmas Tree Farm mystery

listened on Audible - free

narrated by Allyson Ryan

Unabridged audio (8:16)
2017

311 pgs.
Adult Cozy Mystery
Finished 12/22/2020
Goodreads rating: 4.02 - 2253 ratings
My rating: 2 (Just not a cozy mystery fan)
Setting: Contemporary small town Maine 

First line/s:   " 'I have two cups of Santa's cinnamon tea, one spicy apple cider, and a peppermint twist hot cocoa,' I said, setting the mugs on the table surrounded by rosy-cheeked women wearing matching holiday sweaters."

My comments: Deceiving title, only one murder.  There's a reason I don't read cozy mysteries. Only ready this because it's set in Maine. This was so sugary sweet, silly, and stupid.  Stereotypical everything, a Hallmark movie extraordinaire in print.  How can a whole town's worth of people fit in one living room a dozen times?  Ridiculous!

Goodreads synopsis:  When Holly White's fiance cancels their Christmas Eve wedding with less than two weeks to go, Holly heads home with a broken heart. Lucky for her, home in historic Mistletoe, Maine is magical during Christmastime--exactly what the doctor prescribed. Except her plan to drown her troubles in peppermints and snickerdoodles is upended when local grouch and president of the Mistletoe Historical Society Margaret Fenwick is bludgeoned and left in the sleigh display at Reindeer Games, Holly's family tree farm.

          When the murder weapon is revealed as one of the wooden stakes used to identify trees on the farm, Sheriff Evan Grey turns to Holly's father, Bud, and the Reindeer Games staff. And it doesn't help that Bud and the reindeer keeper were each seen arguing with Margaret just before her death. But Holly knows her father, and is determined to exonerate him.The jingle bells are ringing, the clock is ticking, and if Holly doesn't watch out, she'll end up on Santa's naughty list in Twelve Slays of Christmas, Jacqueline Frost's jolly series debut. 

155. It's a Wonderful Wife by Camille Pagan

listened on Audible - free

narrated by Amy McFadden

Unabridged audio (1:56)
2020
100 pgs.
Adult Christmas novella
Finished 12/18/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.50 - 562 ratings
My rating: 4

My comments: What a horrible title, I almost didn't read it because of that!  It's quite a fun story despite the lousy title.  Perfect length, enjoyed it a lot.

Goodreads synopsis:  In this charming and heartwarming retelling of Frank Capra’s classic It’s a Wonderful Life, Camille Pagán, best-selling author of This Won’t End Well and I’m Fine and Neither Are You, introduces us to Bailey, a dutiful yet sharp-witted 30-something who finds herself on the verge of a nervous breakdown as Christmas Eve approaches. As if it wasn’t enough that Bailey’s husband has just cheated on her, the family business she’s been running since her parents died, which employs most of her small town, is about to go under. But even as she’s questioning whether her life has any meaning, Bailey bumps into a handsome stranger who claims to know her - and through a series of strange events, sheds new light on what it means to make a difference in this messy, wonderful world.

154. Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter

listened on Audible, free

narrated by Loretta Rawlins

Unabridged audio (4:00)
2013
152 pgs.
Contemporary Holiday Romance
Finished 12/17/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.95 - 2439 ratings
My rating: 3.5
Setting: Contemporary Wyoming/Montana (can't remember which)

First Line/s:  "Harley Diekerhoff looked up from peeling potatoes to glance out the kitchen window."

My comments: A Hallmark movie-type novella, more or less, except with a little bit of steam near the end.  Bittersweet for sure.  

Goodreads synopsis:  Since the loss of her family in a plane crash, Harley Diekerhoff has led a quiet life and keeps to herself. Taking the temporary job at the Copper Mountain Ranch as widower Brock Sheenan’s housekeeper seems perfect for her. But her calm cocoon is invaded with the arrival of Brock’s pre-teen twins, Mack and Molly who’ve never experienced a proper Christmas and before she knows it, Harley’s determined to make their holiday perfect.
           Annoyed at first by Harley’s interference, Brock is secretly pleased she’s changed Mack and Molly’s world. It doesn’t hurt that he finds Harley incredibly attractive, fierce, smart and passionate. It’s also an added bonus that she’s not afraid to challenge him and get his blood heated! But when sparks fly and the attractions sizzles between them, Harley’s not so sure she can handle something permanent with this dark, taciturn cowboy who doesn’t know how to let her in. But Brock is determined to hold on to her and praying for a Christmas miracle…

150. Snow Day by Julie Lipson

Audible Original, Acted with background noises
Unabridged audio (1:11)
2020
100 pgs.?
Adult CRF Holiday
Finished 12/11/20
Goodreads rating:  3.60 - 452 ratings
My rating: 2
Setting: train from Florence to Paris

My comments: This was a spoken performance that took place on a Christmas Eve train ride from Florence through Italy towards Paris.  When the train encounters a blizzard it has to stop because it cannot continue, and two people whe have just met explore and get to know each other a little better.  I think there was supposed to be charisma between the two characters, but I just didn't feel it.  It was very short, so it didn't waste much of my time.

Goodreads synopsis:  What makes for a wonderful life? On a crowded Christmas train from Milan to Paris, Amy, an American headed to meet her fiancé, and Martjin, a Finn headed anywhere but home, meet cute. But when their train gets delayed in an Italian Alps hill town due to a snow storm, they, along with a passel of fellow stranded passengers, find comfort and joy in a cozy inn, run by a wise Italian man who forces them to look at the holiday and each other in a whole new light. 

148. Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist by Codi Hall

listened - free on Audible
narrated by Brooke Bloomingdale and Edward Thomas
Unabridged audio (10:07)
2020 Audible Originals
290 pgs. - an estimation
Adult Christmas RomCom
Finished 12/10/2020
Goodreads rating: 
My rating: 3
Setting: contemporary rural Idaho

What I posted on Goodreads:  Very cutesie story to listen to when trying to get into the holiday spirit. 

Goodreads synopsis:  Press play on happily ever after in this charming, heartfelt holiday rom-com.
         Nick Winters and Noel Carter have known each other their whole lives. After years of shared family holidays, working together on the Winters’ Christmas tree farm, and being each other's safe haven, they wouldn't dream of crossing the line from friends to something more....
          But when Nick comes home for the holidays after serving overseas and finds that his long-term girlfriend has decided to get her stocking stuffed elsewhere, Noel is there to pick him up and show him that instead of a Blue Christmas he can still have a Wonderful Christmastime without his cheating ex.
          A night on the town and an impulsive kiss later has Noel thinking that perhaps this year they’ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree as a couple, but only if the ghost - er rather - girlfriend of Nick's Christmas past doesn’t decide to haunt their holiday....

78. The Christmas Pact by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

listened to audio via Audible Escape
narrated by Andi Arndt & Sebastian York
Unabridged audio (2:54)
2019 audio, 2020 Kindle
161 pgs.
Adult RomCom (clean)
Finished 5/17/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.57 - 6324 ratings
My rating: 3+

My comments: Just the kind of soft fluff that I need in these ultra-depressing gray days.  A clean rom-com, the type of book that for my previous sixty years I totally refused to read and would never ever admit that I liked them, isn't that a riot?   This was a cutie fake boyfriend book, on of the tomes that I fund delicious.

Goodreads synopsis:  Heat up the holidays with this sizzling new novella from New York Times best-selling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward!
          Riley Kennedy’s emails keep getting crossed with her colleague, Kennedy Riley.
          The infuriating man forwards them along with his annoying commentary and unsolicited advice. At least she never has to see him in person since they work in different locations…until they come face to face at the office holiday party. As luck would have it, Kennedy turns out to be gorgeous…though still a jerk. Yet somehow he’s able to charm her out on the dance floor—and convince her to participate in his crazy scheme: He’ll go home with Riley for a Christmas party and pretend to be her boyfriend if Riley agrees to be his date to a wedding.
          It sounds easy enough. But little by little, the act they’re putting on starts to feel like so much more than a Christmas pact—and Riley’s about to learn there’s more to Kennedy than she ever imagined. 

125. The Boss Who Stole Christmas by Jana Aston

Listened to audio
narrated  by Erin Mallon 
Unabridged audio (2:31)
2019
100 pgs.
Contemporary Christmas RomCom
Finished 12/13/2019
Goodreads rating: 3.93 - 8278 ratings
My rating:  3?

My comments:  Cute, oh so cute.  Short, sweet, and cute.  Merry Christmas!  Steam:  3/4

Goodreads synopsis:  Dear Santa,
          Please bring me a new boss for Christmas. Mine is the worst. The worst, hidden in a six foot tall package of male perfection. It’d be easier if he looked like an old Scrooge, wouldn’t it?
           Nick Saint-Croix doesn’t look like an old scrooge. He’s hot as-
           Um, never mind. Just bring me a new boss. Please.
                     Sincerely,
                     Holly Winter

5. A Fatal Grace - Louise Penny

Chief Insp. Armand Gamache #2
listened to Audio (unabridged 10:31) borrowed from TPPL
read by Ralph Cosham
2006 Minotaur Books
311 pgs. (Hardcover) 417 pgs. (Kindle)
Adult Murder Mystery
Finished 1/8/2018
Goodreads rating:  4.11 - 49,781 ratings
My rating: 4.5
Setting:  Christmastime, Three Pines, Quebec (just outside Montreal)

First line/s:  "Had CC dePoitiers known she was going to be murdered she might have bought her husband, Richard, a Christmas gift.  She might have even gone to her daughter's end of term pageant at Miss Edward's School of Girls, or "girths" as CC liked to tease her expansive daughter.   Had CC dePoitiers had known the end was near she might have been at work instead of in the cheapest room the Ritz in Montreal had to offer.  But the only end she knew was near belonged to a man named Saul."

A quote to ponder:  "So much more comforting to see bad in others, gives us all sorts of excuses for our own bad behavior."

My comments:  Winter in Quebec, a cold, snowy, blizzardy time from just before Christmas until New Years.  I wan't really enamored with the first of the series.  But okay, I'll admit it, there's something special about this guy, this chief inspector.  Or is it Three Pines itself?  The idyllic setting, the quirky characters, the way that almost every piece in the thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle fit together.  And Ralph Cosham, the wonderful reader of this audiobook, who speaks the many French words in a way that I an almost understand them all!  It was definitely more of a "cozy" than the gritty murder mysteries I've always preferred, but it was so much more than a cozy mystery.  Of course I will now read more.  Louise Penny has put many questions into her readers' minds that still need to be answered.
ADDENDUM:  There were so many places that I chuckled during the story, lots and lots of subtle humor.  And every time that Ruth Zardo was in the scene, I loved it.  I want to know more about her.  And I really love her poetry!

Goodreads synopsis:  Welcome to winter in Three Pines, a picturesque village in Quebec, where the villagers are preparing for a traditional country Christmas, and someone is preparing for murder.
No one liked CC de Poitiers. Not her quiet husband, not her spineless lover, not her pathetic daughter—and certainly none of the residents of Three Pines. CC de Poitiers managed to alienate everyone, right up until the moment of her death. 
          When Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, of the Sûreté du Québec, is called to investigate, he quickly realizes he's dealing with someone quite extraordinary. CC de Poitiers was electrocuted in the middle of a frozen lake, in front of the entire village, as she watched the annual curling tournament. And yet no one saw anything. Who could have been insane enough to try such a macabre method of murder—or brilliant enough to succeed?
          With his trademark compassion and courage, Gamache digs beneath the idyllic surface of village life to find the dangerous secrets long buried there. For a Quebec winter is not only staggeringly beautiful but deadly, and the people of Three Pines know better than to reveal too much of themselves. But other dangers are becoming clear to Gamache. As a bitter wind blows into the village, something even more chilling is coming for Gamache himself.

PICTURE BOOK - The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the author

1996

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.32 - 754 ratings

My rating:5

1^st line/s:  "At our farm just outside Union City, Michigan, we didn't celebrate the same holidays as most of our neighbors....but we shared their delight and anticipation of them just the same."

My comments:  This is a wonderful way to introduce and/or remind non-Jewish children about Hanukkah, and a lovely way for Jewish kids to hear a new telling of a Hanukkah tale.  Nobody beats Patricia Polacco's storytelling OR illustrations!

Goodreads:  Trisha loves the eight days of Hanukkah, when her mother stays home from work, her Babushka makes delicious potato latkes,and her Grampa carves wonderful animals out of wood as gifts for Trisha and her brother. In the middle of her family's preparation for the festival of lights, Trisha visits her closest neighbors, expecting to find them decorating their house for Christmas. Instead they are all bedridden with scarlet fever. Trisha's family is one of the few who has been spared from the epidemic. It is difficult for them to enjoy their Hanukkah feast when they know that their neighbors won't be able to celebrate their holiday. Then Grampa has an inspiration: they will cut down trees, decorate them, and secretly deliver them to the neighbors, "But what can we decorate them with?" Babushka asks. Although it is a sacrifice, Trisha realizes that Grampa's carved animals are the perfect answer. Soon her living room is filled with trees -- but that is only the first miracle of many during an incredible holiday season. 
Based on a long cherished childhood memory, this story celebrates the miracle of true friendship.

Christmas Storytime at the Library

I read three books aloud to preschoolers today, I chose ones with three different animals as protagonists. Then we glued sequins for ornaments, drew garlands with glitter crayons, and topped the pre-cut green construction paper tree with a sticky star.  Very cute, and manageable for little hands.  I had eight books to choose from and the ones I chose were big hits:

Merry Christmas, Merry Crow
by Kathi Appelt
Illustrated by Jon Goodell
2005, Harcourt, Inc.

     "Wind's a blowin'
Sky's a snowin'
     Where's this feathered
               fellow goin'?"

The crow glides through each double-page spread, collecting all sorts of tinsel and trinkets he finds laying around, to decorate a tree for all his flying friends.  Gorgeously illustrated, with no white edges (I love edge-of-page to edge-of-page illustrations), the continuous snowfall and merry Christmas shoppers and carolers make this a happy, fun book to share with kids.
     Goodreads rating:  3.93 - 87 ratings

Stowaway in a Sleigh
Written and illustrated by C. Roger Mader
2016 Houghton Mifflin

"It was the darkest hour of night when Slipper heard strange footsteps in the house."

Well, of course she went to investigate, and discovered Mr. Fuzzy Boots...and crawled into his now-empty cozy red bag. After she was whisked away to the North Pole where she made new friends, Santa made a special trip back to Slippers' house to return her.  My little listener was at first a little distressed when she realized that Slippers might not be able to get home again, but enjoyed the story and the illustrations greatly.  Again the gorgeous illustrations covered each entire double-page spread from edge to edge and accentuated the story superbly.
     Goodreads rating:  4.15 - 161 ratings

Bear Stays Up for Christmas
by Karma Wilson
Illustrated by Jane Chapman
2004, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster

"The day before Christmas,
snuggled on his floor,
Bear sleeps soundly
with a great big snore."

Bear has such a tough time staying up once his friends awaken him for Christmas...it is time for his "big sleep" after all, but when it comes time for them to doze off on Christmas Eve, he has a wonderful time preparing surprises for them to find in the morning.  A very cute story, again with many double-page spreads.  Three winners today!
     Goodreads:  4.28 - 6,938 ratings



   

PICTURE BOOK - Aunt Olga's Christmas Postcards by Kevin Major

Illustrated by Bruce Roberts

2005, A Groundwood Book, House of Anansi Press, Toronto & Berkeley

Out-of-print

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.91 - 22 ratings

My rating: 4.5

Endpapers: Red striped background with collage of antique Christmas postcards

Illustrations:  Facsimiles of oodles and oodles of vintage postcards.  Drawings of Aunt Olga and the little girl look like pen and ink and watercolors.

1^st line/s:  "Great-great Aunt Olga is ninety-five.  She calls herself a nonagenarian!  We all think the world of her."

My comments:  This is a wonderfully special book for me.  It's about Christmas and poetry and aging and familial grandparent-type/child relationship.  Its about memories and art and poems that both rhyme and don't rhyme.  There's quite a bit of text, but not so much that snuggling with a child older than a toddler and a gingerbread cookie wouldn't remedy!

Goodreads:  Anna’s great-aunt Olga has collected Christmas postcards all her life. She’s ninety-five, and many of the cards are very old. The holidays are the perfect time for Aunt Olga to share her postcards and her memories with her favorite niece. Decked out in red, Aunt Olga is ready for fun as she teaches Anna how to write her very own Christmas rhymes. Written with warmth and humor, this lovely story is a perfect starting point for discussions of the “olden days”, as well as a charming introduction to the joys of collecting.

PICTURE BOOK - Finding Christmas by Lezlie Evans

Illustrated by Yee Von Chan

2017 Albert Whitman & Company, Chicago

HC $16.99
Simpson Library

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.75 - 24 ratings

My rating: 3

Endpapers:  a medium solid evergreen color

Illustrations are very sweet.  The entire book is sweet. 

1^st line/s:  The Little Burrow was nearly ready for Christmas.  Hare sang as he decorated the tree, Squirrel sprinkled sugar on the hazelnut cookies, and Mouse scurried out the door."

My comments:  This was a quiet, sweet story of three friends who share a home.  It's about sharing, and doing for others, and a little bit about procrastination, to tell the truth!  I'm not super big on anthropomorphism, so my rating may be a little slanted.  It really is a sweet story, and the illustrations are very nice.  There's lots and lots of white space on the pages, which is also a bit of a turn-off for me, but I did enjoy it.  Recommended.

Goodreads:  Squirrel, Mouse, and Hare are getting ready for Christmas. While Mouse is out looking for the perfect gift for Hare, she finds Swallow sick in the snow. The three friends bring Swallow home and try to nurse the bird back to health. Squirrel and Mouse realize their Christmas gifts will help Swallow get well. As they give up their presents to help Swallow, they find the Christmas spirit.

PICTURE BOOK - Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht

Illustrated by Jarvis

2017, Candlewick Press

HC $16.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.1 - 70 ratings

My rating:  4

Endpapers"  Small, simple snowflakes on lt aqua background

Illustrations:  Chalk, pencil, paint (and colored digitally, whatever that means)

1^st verse:
"Pick a pine tree
from the lot ---
slim and tall
or short and squat.
One with spiky needle clumps,
scaly bark, or sappy bumps."

My comments:  Full of rhyme and rhythm, this buying-and-decorating-the-tree poem should be shared with kids just before they either go out to purchase a tree or lug the fake one down from the attic.  It'll get thim "in the mood."  Be sure to examine the illustrations well, there are lots of little things going on to notice.

Goodreads:  A festive read-aloud brimming with all the joy and excitement of Christmastime -- beginning, of course, with picking out a tree! 
Part of the magic of the Christmas season stems from the traditions that families and friends take part in every year: hanging up stockings; putting lights in the windows; and, one of the most important of all, picking out and taking home the Christmas tree. With style and warmth, debut author Patricia Toht and Jarvis, the author-illustrator of Alan's Big, Scary Teeth, evoke all the rituals of decorating the tree -- digging out boxes jam-packed with ornaments and tree trimmings, stringing tinsel, and, at long last, turning on those twinkling lights. Joyously drawn and rhythmically written, this celebration of family, friends, and the holiday season is as merry as the tradition it depicts. 

PICTURE BOOK - Robert's Snow by Grace Lin

Illustrated by the author

2004, Viking (OP, currently available used)
Bosler Library

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.02 - 51 ratings

My rating:  5

Endpapers:  Page divided into nine squares, set up like a tic-tac-toes board, large snowflakes ans the "tic" and numerous smaller snowflakes as the "tac."  Pale, pale blue and white.

Illustrations:  Most double page spreads have at least one, full-page edge-to-edge illustrations, very fun illustrations at that.

1^st line/s:  "Robert and his family lived in a house that lookes a bit like a shoe.  Really it was a boot, but Grandpa had made a lot of changes to it."

My comments: Robert loves the snow.  I don’t.  So with trepidation, I began reading this book.  It’s adorable and clever, and I got a brainstorm about a great activity that could go along with it that I think kids would love.  Robert and his very extended mouse family live in an old shoe that is falling apart.  When winter comes, to be warm and safe, they barricade themselves inside.  Their rooms are snug and tidy.  They use pill bottles and loose change, bottle caps and dice, toothpicks and empty spools, alphabet blocks and tiny pieces of fabric, postage stamps and tiny boxes, corks and buttons.. They eat jelly beans and nuts.  The story, although mostly about winter weather, includes a tiny, very clever bit about Santa, but I wouldn’t consider this a Christmas book, particularly, though it includes the idea of giving to others.  And after the reading aloud (some pages have a bit more text than others, but the book shouldn’t take too very long to read), kids could each be given a small box, a variety of “found items,” and create their own cozy little homes for mice.  Oh, what fun.

Goodreads:  "Too much snow," Grandpa Mouse grumbles.
"Snow is just trouble," scoffs Aunt Vicky.
"Small animals like us," Mum says, "don't like snow."

But Robert, the smallest mouse, knows he likes snow, even though he's never touched it. When he finally gets his wish to go outside and play in it, Robert is overjoyed. Snow is wonderful! That is, until he can't find his way home. Is there anyone who can help him? There is, and even though little Robert doesn't recognize his rescuer, readers will--because it's . . . Santa!

PICTURE BOOK - Grandfather's Christmas Tree by Keith Strand

Illustrated by Thomas Locker

1999, Silver Whistle, Harcourt Brace & Co.

Looks to be out of print

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.06 * 35 ratings

My rating:  4

Endpapers:  Evergreen with gray fir sprills.

1^st line/s:  "My mother and father came to Colorado in May of 1886."

My comments:  Thomas Locker's illustrations drew me this book...and the story, though long-ish for a picture book, is simple.  It tells how a family tradition (placing a hand-carved set of geese into the boughs of their huge outdoor spruce) of this Colorado family began.  It's not about Christmas, or gifts, it's about survival and family love.

Goodreads:  Beginning their life together in the Colorado wilderness, a young rancher and his wife work hard, and joyfully anticipate the birth of their first child. Their many hopes and dreams for their new family are suddenly put in danger when a merciless winter storm hits. The logs in the woodpile quickly dwindle, and soon their only chance for survival is to cut down the lone remaining spruce tree, which provides warmth and shelter to a family of geese--a family not unlike their own. On Christmas Eve the couple prays for a miracle that will protect them and their newborn son. Thomas Locker's glorious paintings and Keith Strand's inspiring reverie bring the Christmas spirit to life in this heartwarming story of faith and family.

PICTURE BOOK - The Great Spruce by John Duvall

Illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

2016, GP Putnams Sons

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.72 (122 ratings)

My rating:  4

Endpapers:  FRONT:  Pineforest green with sprills, bugs, owls, birds, and even a mouse and a snail scattered across the page.
BACK:  Same pine forest green with sprills, but with ornaments instead of fauna.  Clever!

Illustrations

My comments:  I have, in recent years, fretted quite a bit about the huge coniferous tree that has been cut each year to adorn Rockefeller Center at Christmastime.  This well-written book gives a grand message about ecology without being preachy.  Cleverly done, Mr. Duvall!  I loved the illustrations, they reminded me of some of the Golden Books I read as a child.  Not just for Christmas, but for the whole year through.

Goodreads:  Together with his grandpa, a young boy finds a way to save his favorite tree in this heartwarming Christmas tale
           Alec loves to climb trees—the little apple trees, the wide willow trees, even the tall locust trees. But his favorite is the great spruce, with its sturdy trunk and branches that stretch up to the sky. Alec’s grandpa planted it as a sapling years and years before Alec was born, and every Christmas, Alec and his grandpa decorate the tree together, weaving tinsel and lights through its branches, making it shine bright.
           But one day, a few curious men from the nearby city take notice of Alec’s glistening great spruce, and ask to take it away for their Christmas celebration. Though it’s a huge honor, Alec’s heartbroken at the idea of losing his friend. With great courage and creativity, Alec comes up with a plan to save his favorite tree in this joyful holiday tale.

MOVIE - Why Him?

R (1:51)

Wide release 12/23/16

Viewed in Carlisle, in the cushy recliners at RC Carlisle 8

RT Critic:  40  Audience:  61
Critic's Consensus: Solidly cast but overall misconceived, Why Him? offers the odd chuckle, but ultimately adds disappointingly little to its tired father-vs.-fiancé formula.

Cag:  4.5

Directed by John Hamburg

20th Century Fox

James Franco, Bryan Cranston, Megan Mellally, Zoey Deutch

My comments:  Okay, I loved this movie.  It was really crass and really funny.  All the actors were wonderful, though I wished it had shown a little more about the relationship between Laird and Steph.  But the scenes between Bryan Cranston and James Franco were a RIOT!!!!!  James Franco can do anything...and all the wild & crazy paintings throughout the movie were done by him.  Love it, love it.  Today is Chrismas, I saw it last night and I can't get it out of my head.  What a hoot!

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Over the holidays, Ned (Bryan Cranston), an overprotective but loving dad and his family visit his daughter at Stanford, where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend, Laird (James Franco). The straight-laced Ned thinks Laird, who has absolutely no filter, is a wildly inappropriate match for his daughter. The one-sided rivalry-and Ned's panic level-escalate when he finds himself increasingly out of step in the glamorous high-tech hub, and learns that Laird is about to pop the question.

MOVIE - Love the Coopers

PG-13 (2:00)

Wide release 11/13/15

Saw this one by myself

RT Critic: 20   Audience: 41

Cag:  2.5 It was okay....

Directed by Jessie Nelson

Groundswell

Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Alan Harkin

My comments:   This was sort of stupid and unbelievable.  Diane Keaton is bent on leaving John Goodman after many years of marriage....but why?  It's totally unapparent and really dumb.  A few laughs, Alan Arkin is great....but I was pretty unimpressed.

RT Summary:  LOVE THE COOPERS follows the Cooper clan as four generations of extended family come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration. As the evening unfolds, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.