Holidays Reads....

I was quite surprised I didn’t get any suggestions for books to add to my Halloween list so I don’t have anything to add to that compilation this month. I also still have not managed to track down any more information on Victoria Malvey in response to Leslie T’s question for September. So if anyone has any information on this author or what she’s got planned, drop me a line so I can include it in a future column.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! This time of year brings about so many memories and cheerful thoughts for me. I have visions of snowy weather, houses decorated with brilliant lights of many different colors, beautiful Christmas trees, caroling from door to door and ending the night with a glass of eggnog or a steaming cup of cocoa. It’s a time of rebirth, renewal, good cheer and spending quality time with cherished loved ones. And of course, there is Midnight Mass to remind me of what this time of year is really about. So it’s only natural I’d want books I read during the month of December to reflect those same qualities and spirits. So this year, I’m keeping my “talking” short so I can take more room to list a whole pile of seasonal books that are guaranteed to warm your hearts.

One that I just read and really enjoyed was a different kind of book. It was an anthology with three stories, one for Christmas, one for Hanukkah, and one for Winter Solstice. That book was: Burning Bright by Anne Stuart, Maggie Shayne, Judith Arnold

Christmas reads:

• A 5th Avenue Christmas by Tracy Cozzens
• Abby's Christmas by Lynnette Kent
• All Good Gifts by Kathleen Morgan
• All I Want For Christmas by Jon Jeffrey, Chris Kenry, William J. Mann, and Ben Tyler
• An Angel in Time by Stella Cameron
• An Angel’s Wish by Alexis Hart
• An Officer and a Gentleman by Rachel Lee
• Annie's Christmas by Pat Pritchard
• A Berry Merry Christmas by Marcia Evanick
• Caleb's Christmas Wish by Debra Salonen
• California Christmas by Marie Ferrarella and Dallas Schulze
• Christkindl's Gift by Kathleen Morgan
• Christmas Angel by Jo Beverley
• A Christmas Ba by by Annette Blair
• Christmas Cookie Murder by Leslie Meier
• The Christmas Cradle by Linda Warren
• Christmas Eve Marriage by Jessica Hart
• The Christmas Garden Affair by Ann Ripley
• A Christmas Journey by Anne Perry
• The Christmas Kiss by Elizabeth Keys
• The Christmas Marriage Mission by Helen Brooks
• The Christmas Matchmaker by Jeanne Savery
• Christmas On Conrad Street by Marcia Evanick
• Christmas Party by Stephanie Bond and Janelle Denison
• A Christmas Promise by Pamela Johnson
• Christmas Revels by Mary Jo Putney
• Christmas Secrets by Diana Hamilton and Carole Mortimer and Catherine Spencer
• Christmas Spirit Elaine Fox et al
• Christmas Stalking by Jo Leigh
• Christmas Stars by David G. Hartwell (Editor)
• A Christmas to Remember by Betty Neels
• The Christmas Train David Baldacci
• The Christmas Visit by Terri Brisbin and Margaret Moore and Gail Ranstrom
• A Christmas Visitor David Saperstein and George Samerjan
• The Christmas Wedding by Laurie Brown
• Coming Home Helen Bianchin, Rebecca Winters, Lucy Gordon
• Cowboy Christmas by Catherine Palmer, Lisa Harris, Linda Goodnight
• The Crossroad by Beverly Lewis
• Cursed Comes Christmas by Alexis Hart, Pamela Johnson, and Blair Wing
• Daddy's Angel by Annette Broadrick
• DeLaney Christmas Carol by Iris Johansen, Fayrene Preston, Kay Hooper
• A Dry Creek Christmas: Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad
• A Duke For Christmas by Cynthia Pratt
• Eggnog Chronicles by Carly Alexander
• Ellie’s Angel by Kelle Z Riley
• Emily's Christmas Wish by Sharon Stancavage
• Family Blessings by Fern Michaels
• A Family Christmas by Carrie Alexander
• A Family For Christmas by Irene Brand, Dana Corbit
• Father Christmas and Christmas Wishes by Barbara Metzger
• For Christmas, for Always by Caroline Anderson
• A Fortune's Children Christmas by Barbara Boswell and Lisa Jackson and Linda Turner
• A Frontier Christmas by Madeline Baker et al
• Ghosts of Boyfriends Past by Carly Alexander
• The Gift by Nora Roberts
• Happy Holidays by Janet Dailey
• Her Husband's Christmas Bargain by Margaret Mayo
• Highland Spirit by Lori Pepio
• Ho Ho, Silver by Lincoln Rogers
• Holly by Jude Deveraux
• A Home for Christmas by Deborah Grace-Staley
• Jingle All the Way by Fern Michaels, Linda Miller, Theresa Alan
• A Kiss For Christmas by Alice Holden, Lisa Noeli, Melynda Beth Skinner
• Kiss Me At Christmas by Sandra Madden
• A Lawman For Christmas by Pat Pritchard
• Light of Hope by Robert Vaughan
• A Lumberjack Christmas by Janet Elaine Smith
• The Magic of Christmas Emma Craig et al
• Maybe This Christmas by Janet Dailey
• Merry Christmas, Baby by D. Kauffman, N. Warren, E. McCarthy, M. Davidson, L. Monroe & S. Carr
• Mistletoe and Mayhem by Christie Ridgway, Judi McCoy, Joanne Pence, Katherine Hall Page
• M&M Presents: Christmas by Mandy M. Roth and Michelle M. Pillow
• A Mom for Christmas by Joan Kilby
• Move Over, Santa—Ruby's Doin' Christmas! by Ruby Ann Boxcar
• The Night Before Christmas by Victoria Alexander et al
• An Old-Fashioned Southern Christmas by Leigh Greenwood, Connie Mason, Susan Tanner, Nelle McFather
• On a Snowy Night: The Christmas Basket/the Snow Bride by Debbie Macomber
• On the Naughty List by Jaycee Clark, Ellen Fisher, and Angelica Hart
• On The Twelfth Day Of Christmas by Mona Gedney
• One Starry Christmas by Lynna Banning and Carolyn Davidson and Carol Finch
• The Promise in a Kiss by Stephanie Laurens
• Regency Christmas Magic by Amanda McCabe, Barbara Metzger, Sandra Heath, Edith Layton, Allison Lane
• Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Donna Hill, Francis Ray
• See You In Heaven: A Christmas Love Story by Lucia Conti
• The Shadows of Christmas Past by Christine Feehan, Susan Sizemore
• Shop 'Til Yule Drop by Alesia Holliday, Stephanie Rowe, Naomi Neale
• Silent Star by Tracie Peterson
• Silver Bells by Luanne Rice
• Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
• A Soldier's Christmas by Rachel Lee and Merline Lovelace and Catherine Mann
• Star Bright: A Christmas Story by Andrew M. Greeley
• Stroke of Midnight by Carly Phillips, Jacquie D'Alessandro, Janelle Denison
• A Surprise Christmas Proposal by Liz Fielding
• Tempting Fate: Holiday Fantasies by Kay Wilde
• That Christmas Feeling by Gail Gaymer Martin and Catherine Palmer
• A Time-Travel Christmas by Vivian Knight-Jenkins et al.
• 'Tis the Season by Vicki Lewis Thompson
• The Twelve Quickies of Christmas Volume 1 by Lora Leigh, Ashleigh Raine, R. Casteel, Shiloh Walker, Rachel Bo
• The Twelve Quickies of Christmas Volume 2 by Lisa Marie Rice, Joey W. Hill, Lacey Alexander
• The Twilight Before Christmas by Christine Feehan
• A Very Gothic Christmas by Christine Feehan and Melanie George
• A Viscount For Christmas by Catherine Blair
• A Visit from Sir Nicholas by Victoria Alexander
• When Christmas Comes by Debbie Macomber
• Winter Fire by Jo Beverly
• The Winter Pearl by Molly Noble Bull

Unfortunately when I tried to find books to reflect the beliefs of everyone, be it Christmas, Hanukkah or Winter Solstice that you celebrate, I had great difficulty finding books for Hanukkah or Solstice. So do any of you have favorite books to read that reflect your holiday? Then send them to me at kelley@freshfiction.com and I’ll compile them in to a list in a future column.

So until next time may you all have a happy holiday season, whatever you celebrate, and may you have a wonderful New Year filled with wonderful books to curl up with and read. And where all your dreams come true…